Canvey is set to get a new post office, it was revealed today - after endless queues drove customers literally around the bend.

Lines of customers were snaking around the newsagent in Furtherwick Road, through the shop and out of the door during peak times.

Castle Point MP Christine Butler received a bulging mail bag from complaining residents and took up the gauntlet to improve the situation.

Now Post Office chiefs have pledged to do all they can to get a new office on the island and end the congestion.

After a meeting with Martins Retail Group and Post Office Counters Ltd in January, it was agreed that counters would be fully manned and opened earlier during peak times.

But after an initial improvement, the situation deteriorated once again.

Mrs Butler said: "After the guarantees I had received just weeks ago, I was extremely disappointed to learn that the situation had deteriorated once more."

The MP fired off an angry letter to Post Office Counters and Martins and now they are looking at the viability of setting up a new site.

In the meantime, new staff rotas are set to be introduced to improve counter service at peak times.

Mrs Butler said: "We must find a solution because no-one on Canvey can tolerate a situation where it takes 20 minutes to get to a counter and queues snake right through the shop to the door.

"However, the good news is that the head of Post Office's retail department is to visit Canvey to further explore the possibility of establishing an alternative office."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.